Project Mayhem, the Air Force's Secret Hypersonic Bomber, Has Begun Cooking

I can't say that I've seen this posted yet.

Project Mayhem, the Air Force’s secret hypersonic bomber, would be an air-breathing Mach 10 replacement for the SR-71.

The U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory recently awarded a $334 million contract to several engineering companies, including Draper, to oversee the designs, prototypes and tests of Project Mayhem.

But that might be because the U.S. military has its sights set on a bigger prize: a hypersonic bomber.

Meet the Air Force’s secret hypersonic bomber: the Expendable Hypersonic Multi-mission ISR (intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance) and Strike program, a.k.a. Project Mayhem.

The mighty bomber would have a few advantages over its missile-based adversaries, but the big one would be usability. Where missiles like the Kinzhal, Zircon, and China’s Dongfeng-17 are expensive (around $100 million) one-shots, a hypersonic plane traveling in excess of Mach 5—Project Mayhem would reportedly travel Mach 10—could be refueled and used again, and again, and again.

SOURCE

Nvm.

What again?
a reply to: Djdoubt03

a reply to: Blackfinger

What again? What?

What again what again another Son of Sr71/Aurora/Darkstar,hypersonic project...They seem to pop up every few years

a reply to: Blackfinger

Could it be because "Son of Sr71/Aurora/Darkstar,hypersonic" projects have probably been in development since before the SR-71 retirement.

Valkyrie 2.0

a reply to: Djdoubt03

this is not new at all.

a reply to: JoanOTA

How much?

a reply to: SpeedFanatic

that our AF already has atleast 2 platforms that are hypersonic

one might fly in space the other wave riding the atmosphere like a skipping stone one water


with enough word salad you could call them aircraft but likley are listed as spacecraft.


going Mach 10 in the atmosphere unless we have forcefields is almost imposable and something going that fast how could they get any weapon into the air stream with out catastrophe let alone oping a weapons bay at that speed

a reply to: JoanOTA

I would put my money on one of them being atmosphere skipper and the other operating around the height of Karman line.

Probably both operating from 2010s onwards.

ahhhhh yes I remember when we called this the 'Aurora Jet'.

Do either use the pulse jet?

a reply to: asabuvsobelow

You mean the Aurora that didn't and doesn't exist as claimed by the internet?

originally posted by: Zaphod58
a reply to: asabuvsobelow

You mean the Aurora that didn't and doesn't exist as claimed by the internet?

lol yep that one .